§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the new advice being given to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food regional administrators of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) relating to the application of the rules of the arable area payments scheme of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy. [HL3576]
§ Baroness HaymanChanges to the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS) which will apply in 2001 will be set out in the 2001 up-date to the 2000 explanatory guide to the AAPS which will be sent to all arable farmers later this year and will be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements they are making to pay farmers interest on arable area payments which were paid late in 1995. [HL3577]
144WAamenable to international trade. The table below shows data for production, import and export of the major milk products and the amounts available for use on the home market.
§ Baroness HaymanMAFF will provide compensation in the form of interest to farmers who received late payment of their 1995 claims under the Arable Area Payments Scheme for the reasons highlighted in the Seventh Report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration for Session 1999–2000. As agreed with the ombudsman, and in line with common practice across government departments, the compensation payments will be subject to a de minimis level of £50. MAFF has a full list of all the AAPS applicants that were affected, and work is in progress to calculate the compensation to which they are entitled. When that work has been completed the applicants will be notified of the amount of compensation to which they are due. There is no need for individual farmers to apply to the Ministry for payment.